Name: ALOHA P.

ALCANO
Course: BSE-1A
Subject: APPLIED ECONOMICS
Instructor: MERLIE T. TORLAO

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE

PHILIPPINES

SUMMARY
-

The Philippines has a total land area of 30 Million Hectares. Half of the

country is hilly and mostly categorized as a Forest Zone and part of the Public

Domain. As of the year 2005, the country has a population of 85 Million. There

are 112 ethnolinguistic groups in the country who comprise nearly 15% of the

total population of the country. the 12 Million population of Indigenous

Peoples in the Philippines reside in the uplands which they claim as part of
their traditional territories. Most of the remaining natural resources in the

country are found within the traditional lands of the Indigenous Peoples.

The Indigenous Communities: The Indigenous People represent nearly 14%

of the country’s population. They are among the poorest and the most

disadvantaged social group in the country. Illiteracy, unemployment and

incidence of poverty are much higher among them than the rest of the

population. IP settlements are remote, without access to basic services, and

are characterized by a high incidence of morbidity, mortality and malnutrition.

Furthermore, most Indigenous Communities do not have legal recognition

over their traditional lands, thus limiting their ability to freely conduct their

livelihood activities and are denied access to other natural resources in their

communities. And recent national policy and developments on indigenous

peoples In recent years, the Philippine Government has made major policy

reforms in order to address the serious problem of the lack of tenurial security

among IPs and local communities. The Philippines has led the way in the SEA

region as it had pioneered the use of long-term stewardship agreements as a

tenurial instrument to recognize the resource management rights of IPs within

forestlands in the early 1980s’. With the passage of IPRA in 1997, the law

recognized the rights of Indigenous peoples over their ancestral domains and

provided for a process of titling of lands through the issuance of Certificates of

Ancestral Domain Titles (CADT). The law gave jurisdiction of all ancestral

domain claims to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)

including those previously awarded by the DENR and all future claims that

shall be filed. The new Arroyo administration through the National

Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has committed to fully implement

the IPRA and has promised to issue at least 100 domain titles by mid-2002.

However, the current budgetary allocation for the NCIP and its ancestral

domain management activities remain at a paltry .07% of the national budget.

More ominously the situation is not expected to improve as the trend in

budgetary allocation for Government services towards ancestral domain

allocation including community resources management continues to

decrease. The Philippines and the Outside World The Philippines holds the

distinction of being the 1st Country in the SEA region to enact a law

recognizing the traditional rights of Indigenous Peoples over Ancestral

Domains with the passage of IPRA in the past decade. However, in spite of

the tremendous advances made by the Indigenous Communities along with

its support groups and advocates, the Philippine Legislature has yet to ratify

the International Labor Organization Convention 169. The convention (ILO

169) is a legal international treaty that provides the basic legal standards to

protect Indigenous Workers within the framework of respect for indigenous

and tribal peoples’ cultures, and their distinct ways of life, and their traditions

and customs. Currently, the ILO advocates for the ratification of the

convention through its INDISCO programme in the Philippines. While the

Philippine has received numerous accolades for passing the landmark law

IPRA, its behavior in the international arena leaves a lot to be desired.

Perhaps the most glaring irony is shown by the Philippine. IP Non-

Government Organizations and their alliances in the Philippines There still

divisions among the Indigenous Peoples Movement in the Philippines. This is

expected due to the volatility of the issues that are being tackled by the sector

and the intensity of the personalities involved in the sector. However, it must
be said that there instances where the Civil society and Government must

share the blame in the furtherance of the divisions among the ranks of the IP

sector. IPOs see support groups as a resource thus they will naturally

gravitate to groups that offer logistical, financial and material support. IP's,

poverty alleviation and environmental protection.The access of local

communities and Indigenous groups over land, seas and natural resources

have gradually.Indigenous Communities and Land Tenure Numerous studies

have shown that indigenous people operate a well developed land allocation

and land management system that relies on communal decision making

through traditional structures. Tenure and Conservation: The Tagbanwa and

Ikalahan Experience The Calamian Tagbanwa inhabit the beautiful

limestone Coron Island, one of the Calamianes islands of North Palawan,

surrounded by water once rich in marine resources, the main source of their

livelihood. In the 1980s, declining fisheries in the adjoining Visayas islands

and southern Luzon coasts triggered the movement of fishers westward into

Calamianes waters, which resulted in over-fishing, illegal fishing, and

increased human population.the Tagbanwa Foundation then went on to use a

new law—known as Administrative Order Number 2 of 1993—to pursue a

permanent title to their land. The Ikalahan of Sta. Fe Nueva Vizcaya.the

Ikalahan community in Northern Philippines were granted exclusive rights to

use and manage at least 15,000 hectares of forestlands through a Communal

Forest stewardship agreement.With the help of support groups and other

Non-Government Organizations, community elders and the local Government

the Kalahan Educational Foundation established forest management rules

and policies that addressed both conservation and livelihood issues and
concerns. Lessons and OpportunitesIndigenous Peoples/local Communities

can only practice traditional management in a territory. If access and control

of the territory is not secured, they cannot exercise traditional resource

management. Challenges and RecommendationsThe Ikalahan case for one

shows how they were able to slowly chip away at the bureaucratic walls

thrown at them. Other Indigenous Communities in the Philippines now face

the same dilemma as they have been required to establish a legal entity to

enable them to negotiate and enter into contracts with the Government for a

resource utilization tenurial instruments. Conflicts are expected as the

Government asserts itself and its authority to regulate and be the sole

protector of the environment. For the Indigenous Communities however,

securing tenure over their land is an expression of self determination and a

renewal of their inherent right to own, utilize and manage their land resources.

Thus, a common ground and compromise should be established in order to

ensure the continuity of the role of Indigenous peoples as stewards of the

environment. Such is a win-win situation where the communities shall flourish,

and their rights are respected while the natural environment is protected.
Topic: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE

PHILIPPINES

REACTION/CRITIQUE

- In my own opinion or reaction about, The Indigenous people in the

Philippines is consust of numerous upland and lowland, and Indigenous

groups living in the country groups and also the Indigenous people is the one

who have overtime to majority, Because over 12 million population of

Indigenous people, reside in the upland which they claim the part of their

traditional terretories. And most of that are remaining natural resources in the

country, found within the traditional land of Indigenous people. And according

to the study of David E. De Vera about Indigenous communities, 14% of the

country's population, they are the poorest and incidece of poverty and also

characterized by a high incidence of morbidity, morality and malnutrition. And

most of te Indigenous people depend on traditional swidden agriculture

utilizing it is available in upland areas. Even they are degraded and further

threatened by the influx of migrant farmers who have introduced

unsustainable lowland, commercial farming practice. Indigenous communities

do not have a legal recognition over their traditional lands. But also they have
a National Policy and Developments on Indigenous People, That it means

have a Philippine Government has made by major policy reform in order to

address serious problem or lack 9f tenurial security among IP's local

communities, Because perhaps of the security of Indigenous People in that

region was enactment of the Indigenous People Rights (IPRA) by the

Philippine Government in 1997. IPRA is state and community as recognize

"ownership" Indigenous community terretories which include land, However

Indigenous People in the Philippines as the most marginalized sector of

society. Because Indigenous People inability of the Government fully

implement by the IPRA in order to address the problems and concerns of the

Indigenous Communities rooted in conflicting policies, capacity gaps and

questionable commitment to empower Indigenous Policies, or Communities.

The problem is underscored by over encouragement on the part of

Government of the entry large-scale commercial investment into traditional

lands, install extractive industries which include open-pit mining, palm oil

plantations and industrial forest farms. The Philippines and the outside world,

holds the distinction of being the 1st Country in the SEA and they are

recognize the traditional rights of Indigenous People over, Ancestral Domains

with pasage of IPRA in the past deacde. And of course they have a lot of

supporters of Indigenous Communities along with it's groups and advocates,

the Philippines legislature has yet to ratify the International Labor

Organization Convention 169. The convention (ILO169) is a legal international

treaty that provides the basic legal standards to protect Indigenous and tribal

people's culture, and their distinct ways of life, and thier traditions , and

customs. IP Non-government Organization and their alliances in the

Philippines, Indigenous People sector in the Philippines enjoy broad base of

active support groups and academic civil society and the church, those are

the example of IP Non-government Organization, and they also help the IP to

assist comes in varied form ranging from policy advocacy, community

development, technical assistance and education. Because many people to

help or offer logistical, financial material support and the IP's poverty

alleviation and environment protection, Accross Asian Indigenous and Local

Communities share common situation, traditional resources use and land, and

most cases, local and Indigenous Communities have been completely

disempowered the dominant societies have been successful in imposing, but

as i expect the result extreme poverty and further deepening the societal

divide. However, state controlled forest natural resources management has

miserably failed in the Philippines. But because of the land seas and other

natural resources lies at heart of Indigenous Communities. The Indigenous

Communities and the land Tenure is numerous studies and allocation and

land management, communal forms allow for the rotation of upland agriculture

fields, and equitable, and therefore they depends the capacity and exercise

control resource. Those are the example of the Land Tenure is Tenure and

Conservation ( The Tagbanwa and Ikalahan Experience), The region is rife

and conservation that failed due the non-recognation of tenure as a

prerequisite to foster collective community action and support. The Calamian

Tagbanwa inhabit the beautiful limestone coron island, one of the calamianes

island of North Palawan and also there have the Ikalahan of Sta. Fe Nueva

Vizcaya, The Philippines government hand plans "develop" however the

people opposed the plan and instead negotiated with Government and offered
their service to "protect" the forest. And because of the support of the groups

and non-government organization the Kalahan Educational Foundation

established forest management rules and policiest that addressed Issues and

Concerns, and of course the lessons and opportunities the land tenure is the

key piece of conservation management and however, Indigenous People/local

practice traditional management and there's a lot of opportunity, she

ownership or stake are limited. Because if they are not control or access the

resources and communities who do not have tenure will most often tend to

view the conservation, it is because the tenure is explain about how to dealing

the consequences or negotiate and engage other stakeholders will be severly

limited is tenure is not adequately addressed and also the tenure is successful

outcomes is negotiation process and deal with the outside world along hybrid

institutions with legal personality with nevertheless remains underpinned with

customary law (Colchester), you should not shy away and skirt the tenurial

security issue if the support of the community is required. And also challenges

and recommendations it is important to know about security tenure follow is a

very complicated, and ardous process. The very idea of securing tenure for a

marginalized sector of society challenges existing paradigms, mindsets and

because of that people and institutions in power uncomfortable, but

communities are support group face as they go about securing legal tenure.

But sometimes local government feel threatened when tenure is secured by

local Communities. Because of the traditional structures are seen as rivals for

local power and these are the implications for local power relations

(economics,social and political) and thus they need to continue or explore

appropriate collaboration management. and some of that they also have a

problem, because they will arise since most areas within the region already

have multiple stakeholders, and also we have also respect the Indigenous

people, because they are part to our society and also they are important,

cause it's also builds respect and confidence. Because at the end of the day,

it should be about them. Providing culturally or appropriate programs or builds

Indigenous People's identity. They are realize that what they already know is

useful and they take pride in thier own culture and knowledge.